


What Should I Do?

by Shay_Nioum



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hopeful Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Spoilers for SvS Redux
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:48:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23980021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shay_Nioum/pseuds/Shay_Nioum
Summary: After his talk with Patton, Roman needs some advice from a certain side.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 82





	What Should I Do?

“I don’t know what to do!” 

The words burst free from Roman’s mouth the moment that rose up, his hands were clenching and unclenching as he stood there, and just from the flexing of his jaw it was fairly obvious that he was grinding his teeth in pure frustration. His eyes blazed with that very same frustration that he was clearly having difficulty working through, as his hair messily flopped forward over his forehead and waved messily in front of his eyes. The muscles in Roman’s arms tensed as he finally unclenched his hands, just to run them through his hair making even messier than it had been just seconds prior. 

“Huh?” Came Janus’ intelligent response, as he jerked his head up from the snake videos it had just been buried in. 

An irritated growl rumbled in Roman’s throat as he took a few steps back, “I try to learn from my mistakes by taking your side and treating you nicely, but it only makes them angry. So what do I do?! I treat you how they apparently wanted me to treat you, and now?!” Roman snarled, tugging at the end strands of his hair, tears prickled at the corners of his eyes as he took another step back. As if putting distance between him and Janus was the only way to ensure that he didn’t hurt the other side. “Now I’m just bad!” 

A shudder rolled through Roman’s frame, and before he even knew it a pair of arms had wrapped around him, securing him firmly against Deceit’s… no Janus’ warm chest. 

He hadn’t even heard the other side get up, let alone seen him approaching. And yet…

Gentle fingers ran soothingly through his hair, flattening the wild tangles that his hair had become. And before Roman was even aware of what was happening, a tearful hiccup fell from his lips, and the tears that he had worked so hard to repress when he had talked with Patton came bursting free. All he could do was cry, cry and bury his face into the shoulder of the person he had insulted just hours prior… and who had insulted him right back with the words that had hurt the most. 

“I…” He swallowed thickly, rapidly blinking in an attempt to see past his tears. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do…” Roman honestly admitted, “What am I supposed to do?” 

There was silence, and somehow that was actually worse. He would have preferred anything over the silence that came from Janus. His usual snarkiness, his sarcasm, his anger, even a lie would have been preferable to this. But what had he expected really? He came here, without consent and just unloaded everything onto Janus after insulting him when he knew that he was most vulnerable, and didn’t expect to be turned away for it? He didn’t even ask Janus if he’d be willing to talk, he had just assumed…

He always assumed…

“What do you want to do?” Came the gentle whisper, as those same fingers ran through his hair again. “Instead of being told what you should feel, tell me Roman… what do you want? What do you feel when you look at me? Without anyone having to tell you, how do you want to treat me?”

This time it was Roman’s turn for silence, and his turn to ponder things that he hadn’t really thought about before. Glancing up at Janus, a part of him hoped that the other side’s expression would give him some kind of hint to the answer that was expected of him. But… Looking up into Janus’ mismatched eyes, he saw only confident and cool certainty… The kind of certainty that Logan wore when he was absolutely sure that the other sides could solve a problem without him having to tell them the answer to it. Janus was trusting him to come to his own conclusions, regardless of how he felt about Roman either coming to the conclusion to mock him… or trust him. 

He swallowed once again, nervousness prickling under his skin. “I…don’t know.” Roman hesitantly began. “I just don’t want to be yelled at.” 

Slowly Janus nodded his head, as he just as slowly released Roman and stepped back. Roman felt his fingers twitch, with the innate instinct to reach forward and to keep that warmth against him and those fingers running through his hair. 

“Okay,” Janus patiently began, “I’m not going to yell at you, but…” He sternly stared back at the creative side. “Should you decide that I am your enemy, and that I deserve your cruelty… I will not take it laying down like Virgil did. If you attempt to hurt me with your words, I will truly be your enemy. I won’t be passive.” Releasing a breath that Roman honestly hadn’t been aware that Janus had been holding in, the dishonest side in question slowly tugged off his gloves before extending his hand to Roman. “My name is Janus.” 

This time Roman didn’t hesitate, clasping the warm hand with the strength he had left. 

“And mine is Roman.” 


End file.
